Groaning in disgust for not taking better precautions, Frank ran out of Joe's room screaming at the top of his lungs. "Dad! They got Joe!"
"No they didn't," Joe said running up the stairs. "The alarm scared them off," he continued looking at Frank quizzically. "You certainly took long enough to get out of bed. I took off as soon as I heard the alarm."
"I went straight to your room," Frank explained. "It is you they want after all."
"Well, they are long gone now," Fenton replied coming back up the stairs. He had followed Joe down earlier and reset the alarm and called the police to let them know they didn't need to show up. "I sincerely doubt they will try that again. At least tonight," he amended.
"Let's get back to bed," Fenton continued. "That's enough excitement for one evening."
The next morning Frank and Joe headed downstairs and found their father in the kitchen reading the morning paper. Fenton folded the paper and handed it to Frank as Joe went to the cabinet and pulled out two cereal bowls.
"Liz did a good job on the article," Fenton said picking up his spoon and taking a bite of cereal as Joe set the bowls down on the table.
"Good," Joe said, grabbing two spoons and laying them beside the bowls then reaching for two glasses. "I don't want to spend the entire weekend watching my back."
"Well, a few more hours of it anyway," Fenton said. "I want you to stay home at least until this afternoon. We want to make sure they have had time to see the article."
"I suppose a few hours at home won't kill me," Joe said with a sad sigh.
Frank laughed at Joe as he sat down and passed him the paper. "Here," he said, picking up the orange juice and pouring himself and Joe a glass. "You better read it so you'll know what to say to Liz about it."
***
Grayhaven looked at the morning edition of The Bayport Times and frowned. "Boss," he said, walking into the living room as he scanned the article. "You have got to see this." He handed the paper to a tall man with muscular arms.
Cash Morrison took the proffered paper and read the article, his green eyes skeptical as they moved from the paragraph to the picture. "So, Fenton Hardy is protecting Leland's son," he commented in a low voice.
"But the article said that was Joe Hardy," Grayhaven corrected him. "We've been after the wrong person."
"Oh, please," Morrison said scathingly as he tossed the paper aside. "I have seen Hardy. And this boy looks nothing like him. No, this is Tom's son. He looks just like his father."
"Does this mean we still grab him?" Moran asked from his chair by the window.
"Indeed," Morrison said. "And make sure Hardy knows that ridiculous article did not fool us."
***
It was going on six o'clock when Frank and Joe came downstairs ready to leave for their dates that evening. "I just got off the phone with Agent Boone," Fenton informed his sons. "He said Tom has been settled into a new location until the trial."
"That's good," Joe remarked. "I still find it hard to believe he worked for that slime ball."
"I know what you mean," Frank said. "I liked him too."
"You two be careful tonight and have fun," Fenton said as the two prepared to leave.
"We will," Frank said. "Are you sure you don't want to come with us to a movie or something?" he asked, feeling a bit guilty about leaving his dad home alone for the second night in a row.
"I'm sure," Fenton replied, smiling. "You don't need an old fogey like me tagging along. Besides," he added, running a hand across the top of his head. "I have some research to do on my new case."
"Night, Dad," Joe said as he followed Frank outside. Getting into the passenger side of the van, Joe flipped on the radio. "What are you two doing tonight?" Joe asked.
"The Observatory," Frank replied. "I guess we will most likely see you two there."
"If I can talk Vanessa into it," Joe agreed. "But after that, I think we will go our separate ways. It's been a while since it's been just the two of us," he added.
"I know what you mean," Frank replied. "I think Callie is getting tired of double dating too."
Frank dropped Joe off at Vanessa's, making sure he got inside before pulling away. Even though the article had come out early that morning and there was no way it couldn't been seen by at least one of Morrison's men, Frank still kept a sharp eye out for the Toyota from the previous evening. He had scanned the neighborhood before leaving home and made sure they had not been followed. He left the Bender's feeling Joe was completely safe and made his way to Callie's house.
***
"Wow!" Vanessa said turning to look at Joe as he wrapped an arm around her waist. "It looks so big!"
Joe laughed. He wasn't really one for astronomy but stargazing with the girl he loved was definitely high on his priority list. He nuzzled her neck as she turned to take another look.
"Don't you two ever stop?" Callie demanded playfully as she and Frank joined them at the giant telescope.
Joe growled and looked at her, his nose scrunched up in displeasure. "Can't you two ever get your timing right?" he retorted.
Laughing, Vanessa kissed Joe's cheek. "Joe said you two were coming but I can't believe we beat you here," she said.
"Callie's dad had something he wanted to show me," Frank explained their delay.
"Well, it's all yours," Joe said, taking Vanessa's hand and pulling her away from the telescope. "We have plans."
"Oh?" Callie asked, quirking an eyebrow.
"Mmm-hmm," Joe stated with a nod. "We are going to the movies. Alone."
Joe and Vanessa left Frank and Callie and headed back toward town. "How about something to eat at Barney's Burgers before we head to the movies?" suggested Joe as they neared the restaurant.
"Sure," Vanessa agreed and pulled into the parking lot.
Thirty minutes later they were almost ready to leave and Vanessa excused herself to the ladies' room. "Joe, would you mind if I canceled on you tonight?" Vanessa asked a bit hesitantly after she returned.
"No," Joe replied at once. How could he? He knew he had canceled on her often enough. "Aren't you feeling well?"
"Not really," she replied as she let Joe take her hand and lead her from the restaurant. "I'll drop you off at home."
"No," Joe said, frowning. "If you aren't feeling well then you shouldn't be alone," he said, knowing her mom was out on a date of her own tonight.
"No, I'm fine," Vanessa hastened to assure him. "It's just uh, a female thing," she ended, blushing.
"Oh," Joe said, blushing as well. "Okay, then. If you're sure you are going to be all right?"
Vanessa dropped Joe off at home with a promise to meet him in the parking lot at school the next morning. Joe watched her drive away before turning and heading inside. He entered the kitchen and grinned. The television was loud enough so that he could tell his father was watching a western. Guess Dad wasn't in the mood for research, he thought as he pushed open the door that connected the small dining room to the kitchen.
Stepping through, his eyes widened in shock as he saw his father sitting tied to one of the dinning room chairs with a gag firmly in place. "Dad!" Joe exclaimed, rushing forward.
Fenton shook his head frantically and Joe came to a stop. He wondered why was his dad shaking his head a second before a wet cloth found its way over his face.
Joe reached up to pull it away but his arms were grabbed in a vice-like grip and the cloth pushed harder against his nose and mouth. His vision began to blur as he grew dizzy. The last thing he saw before he passed out were his dad's terrified eyes staring at him.
"No they didn't," Joe said running up the stairs. "The alarm scared them off," he continued looking at Frank quizzically. "You certainly took long enough to get out of bed. I took off as soon as I heard the alarm."
"I went straight to your room," Frank explained. "It is you they want after all."
"Well, they are long gone now," Fenton replied coming back up the stairs. He had followed Joe down earlier and reset the alarm and called the police to let them know they didn't need to show up. "I sincerely doubt they will try that again. At least tonight," he amended.
"Let's get back to bed," Fenton continued. "That's enough excitement for one evening."
The next morning Frank and Joe headed downstairs and found their father in the kitchen reading the morning paper. Fenton folded the paper and handed it to Frank as Joe went to the cabinet and pulled out two cereal bowls.
"Liz did a good job on the article," Fenton said picking up his spoon and taking a bite of cereal as Joe set the bowls down on the table.
"Good," Joe said, grabbing two spoons and laying them beside the bowls then reaching for two glasses. "I don't want to spend the entire weekend watching my back."
"Well, a few more hours of it anyway," Fenton said. "I want you to stay home at least until this afternoon. We want to make sure they have had time to see the article."
"I suppose a few hours at home won't kill me," Joe said with a sad sigh.
Frank laughed at Joe as he sat down and passed him the paper. "Here," he said, picking up the orange juice and pouring himself and Joe a glass. "You better read it so you'll know what to say to Liz about it."
***
Grayhaven looked at the morning edition of The Bayport Times and frowned. "Boss," he said, walking into the living room as he scanned the article. "You have got to see this." He handed the paper to a tall man with muscular arms.
Cash Morrison took the proffered paper and read the article, his green eyes skeptical as they moved from the paragraph to the picture. "So, Fenton Hardy is protecting Leland's son," he commented in a low voice.
"But the article said that was Joe Hardy," Grayhaven corrected him. "We've been after the wrong person."
"Oh, please," Morrison said scathingly as he tossed the paper aside. "I have seen Hardy. And this boy looks nothing like him. No, this is Tom's son. He looks just like his father."
"Does this mean we still grab him?" Moran asked from his chair by the window.
"Indeed," Morrison said. "And make sure Hardy knows that ridiculous article did not fool us."
***
It was going on six o'clock when Frank and Joe came downstairs ready to leave for their dates that evening. "I just got off the phone with Agent Boone," Fenton informed his sons. "He said Tom has been settled into a new location until the trial."
"That's good," Joe remarked. "I still find it hard to believe he worked for that slime ball."
"I know what you mean," Frank said. "I liked him too."
"You two be careful tonight and have fun," Fenton said as the two prepared to leave.
"We will," Frank said. "Are you sure you don't want to come with us to a movie or something?" he asked, feeling a bit guilty about leaving his dad home alone for the second night in a row.
"I'm sure," Fenton replied, smiling. "You don't need an old fogey like me tagging along. Besides," he added, running a hand across the top of his head. "I have some research to do on my new case."
"Night, Dad," Joe said as he followed Frank outside. Getting into the passenger side of the van, Joe flipped on the radio. "What are you two doing tonight?" Joe asked.
"The Observatory," Frank replied. "I guess we will most likely see you two there."
"If I can talk Vanessa into it," Joe agreed. "But after that, I think we will go our separate ways. It's been a while since it's been just the two of us," he added.
"I know what you mean," Frank replied. "I think Callie is getting tired of double dating too."
Frank dropped Joe off at Vanessa's, making sure he got inside before pulling away. Even though the article had come out early that morning and there was no way it couldn't been seen by at least one of Morrison's men, Frank still kept a sharp eye out for the Toyota from the previous evening. He had scanned the neighborhood before leaving home and made sure they had not been followed. He left the Bender's feeling Joe was completely safe and made his way to Callie's house.
***
"Wow!" Vanessa said turning to look at Joe as he wrapped an arm around her waist. "It looks so big!"
Joe laughed. He wasn't really one for astronomy but stargazing with the girl he loved was definitely high on his priority list. He nuzzled her neck as she turned to take another look.
"Don't you two ever stop?" Callie demanded playfully as she and Frank joined them at the giant telescope.
Joe growled and looked at her, his nose scrunched up in displeasure. "Can't you two ever get your timing right?" he retorted.
Laughing, Vanessa kissed Joe's cheek. "Joe said you two were coming but I can't believe we beat you here," she said.
"Callie's dad had something he wanted to show me," Frank explained their delay.
"Well, it's all yours," Joe said, taking Vanessa's hand and pulling her away from the telescope. "We have plans."
"Oh?" Callie asked, quirking an eyebrow.
"Mmm-hmm," Joe stated with a nod. "We are going to the movies. Alone."
Joe and Vanessa left Frank and Callie and headed back toward town. "How about something to eat at Barney's Burgers before we head to the movies?" suggested Joe as they neared the restaurant.
"Sure," Vanessa agreed and pulled into the parking lot.
Thirty minutes later they were almost ready to leave and Vanessa excused herself to the ladies' room. "Joe, would you mind if I canceled on you tonight?" Vanessa asked a bit hesitantly after she returned.
"No," Joe replied at once. How could he? He knew he had canceled on her often enough. "Aren't you feeling well?"
"Not really," she replied as she let Joe take her hand and lead her from the restaurant. "I'll drop you off at home."
"No," Joe said, frowning. "If you aren't feeling well then you shouldn't be alone," he said, knowing her mom was out on a date of her own tonight.
"No, I'm fine," Vanessa hastened to assure him. "It's just uh, a female thing," she ended, blushing.
"Oh," Joe said, blushing as well. "Okay, then. If you're sure you are going to be all right?"
Vanessa dropped Joe off at home with a promise to meet him in the parking lot at school the next morning. Joe watched her drive away before turning and heading inside. He entered the kitchen and grinned. The television was loud enough so that he could tell his father was watching a western. Guess Dad wasn't in the mood for research, he thought as he pushed open the door that connected the small dining room to the kitchen.
Stepping through, his eyes widened in shock as he saw his father sitting tied to one of the dinning room chairs with a gag firmly in place. "Dad!" Joe exclaimed, rushing forward.
Fenton shook his head frantically and Joe came to a stop. He wondered why was his dad shaking his head a second before a wet cloth found its way over his face.
Joe reached up to pull it away but his arms were grabbed in a vice-like grip and the cloth pushed harder against his nose and mouth. His vision began to blur as he grew dizzy. The last thing he saw before he passed out were his dad's terrified eyes staring at him.